As a conventional crimp terminal, there is the one as disclosed in Patent Literature 1. This crimp terminal 50 is provided with a mating terminal connection unit 51 that performs connection with a mating terminal, and an electric wire crimp unit 52 that crimps an electric wire W as shown in FIG. 1(a).
The electric wire crimp unit 52 includes a conductor crimp unit 55 which includes a base 53 and one pair of conductor swage units 54 respectively extended from its both sides, and a skin crimp unit 57 which includes the base 53 and one pair of skin swage units 56 respectively extended from its both sides.
Three linear serrations (lock grooves) 58a, 58b and 58c that respectively extend in a direction (hereinafter, referred to as a width direction) orthogonal to an axial direction of the electric wire W are provided in an inner surface of the conductor crimp unit 55 at positions which are almost equally spaced in the axial direction of the electric wire W, as shown in detail in FIG. 2. Although the three serrations 58a, 58b and 58c are tapered such that endmost parts on their both sides become gradually shallower, depths of other regions are as follows. That is, the serration 58c on the side that the electric wire W is to be led out is set such that the depth of the width-direction center is shallower than the depths of the both ends. The other two serrations 58a and 58b are set deep at any position in the width direction.
In the electric wire W, a skin 61 on its terminal part is stripped off and a conductor 60 is exposed. Then, the conductor 60 part of the electric wire W is crimped by swaging deformation of the one pair of conductor swage units 54 and the skin 61 part is crimped by swaging deformation of the one pair of skin swage units 56, as shown in FIG. 1(b).
The conductor 60 within the conductor crimp unit 55 bites into the respective serrations 58a, 58b and 58c by crimping force in the course of swaging of the one pair of conductor swage units 54. Stabilization of contact resistance (improvement in electrical performance) between the conductor 60 and the conductor crimp unit 55, and improvement in tensile strength (improvement in mechanical strength) between the conductor 60 and the conductor crimp unit 55 are promoted by bite of the conductor 60 into the three serrations 58a, 58b and 58c. 
Specifically, when the conductor 60 that receives the crimping force in the course of swaging of the one pair of conductor swage units 54 is deformed in accordance with groove shapes of the respective serrations 58a, 58b and 58c, edge parts of the respective serrations 58a, 58b and 58c apply strong pressure locally on the conductor 60. Then, a resistive material such as an oxide generated on a surface of the conductor 60 at a part which has received the strong pressure is removed and a new surface which is excellent in conductivity is formed. Stabilization of contact resistance is promoted by generation of this new surface.
In addition, the conductor 60 that receives the crimping force in the course of swaging of the one pair of conductor swage units 54 is protrudingly deformed in accordance with the groove shapes of the respective serrations 58a, 58b and 58c. The tensile strength is improved by generation of this protruding part. On the other hand, if the conductor 60 is largely and protrudingly deformed, the conductor 60 will be subjected to large shearing damage and hence it is feared that the tensile strength will be conversely weakened. Thus, in the conventional example, at a position where tensile force is concentrated in the conductor crimping unit 55, that is, at the width-direction center of the serration 58c on the side 9 that the electric wire W is to be led out, the depth of its width-direction center is set shallowly to reduce shearing damage to the conductor 60 on that part.